In the fast-paced world of life sciences, innovation requires more than just bright ideas – it takes trust, commitment, and strong partnerships. Through this, we successfully developed a state-of-the-art instrument for automated clean-up and size selection of nucleic acids – together with our partner Hamilton.
From idea to early functional model
The idea for the Microlab PuriFY was sparked in 2017 at HSE. The vision was to develop a revolutionary automated tool that streamlines labor-intensive nucleic acid purification and size selection. The pioneering idea led to the development of a functional model demonstrating not just feasibility but real promise.
Strategic partnership begins
By 2022, this vision evolved into a full-scale development project in partnership with Hamilton. Under a clearly defined collaboration model, we took the lead on the instrument development – including mechatronic, software, firmware, and consumable design – while Hamilton spearheaded the injection molding, applications, production, and market introduction. This division of responsibilities created an agile and focused team dynamic, where both partners could leverage their core strengths.
From concept to reality in record time
Development officially kicked off in January 2023, with an ambitious target: to present the solution at the SLAS 2025 in San Diego. Despite challenging timelines, the joint team delivered — right on schedule.
Key milestones included:
Overcoming challenges together
Every innovation journey comes with hurdles – and this one was no exception. From unexpected production issues to edge-case reliability concerns, the team faced – and solved – complex challenges together. This was only possible through strong leadership and technical excellence across innovation, system engineering, and molecular biology.
Looking ahead
Read our case study to learn more about the project's highlights, challenges and innovative solution!
Discover more about the Hamilton Microlab PuriFY.